Marvel Cinematic Universe fans had a lot to celebrate last month. The franchise put on a hell of a show during their Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, with four new projects revealed, new release dates announced, and exclusive footage premiered from multiple upcoming movies. It's almost overwhelming how much new stuff was confirmed at the event – which is why it's pretty crazy to realize that we're likely now just a few weeks away from even more news out of D23 Expo 2022 this September.
Speculation about Marvel announcements at the Disney-centric event is not exactly novel, and fans have been curious about what will come from the convention for months now – but what is new is a description of what to expect from the franchise during the planned Hall D23 Presentation. Disney sent out a press release today teasing what to expect, and the verbiage used has raised our expectations for big reveals:
As previously announced, filmmakers, celebrity talent, and surprise guests from Marvel Studios will join Lucasfilm and others onstage in Hall D23 to showcase theatrical and Disney+ titles. Going behind the scenes of these studios’ highly anticipated films, specials, and series, attendees will see exclusive footage and be among the first to learn what’s in the works.
It's particularly that last bit in there that sends of sparks in one's mind akin to Tony Stark operating a welding torch.
Let's first talk about "exclusive footage." At San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios debuted a bevy of new previews – including the latest trailer for She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, our first look at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, an Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania reel, and a sneak peek at Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3. All that stuff may be on the big screen again at D23 Expo 2023... but that won't qualify as "exclusive."
So what could we see? Well, we haven't gotten a look at footage from 2023's The Marvels just yet, despite the fact that the blockbuster sequel has already completed production. The same can also be said about the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which was shot on the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 set. By the time the Marvel panel plays out on September 10, it may also be the perfect time to premiere another trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (which will be arriving in theaters this November).
Then there is the whole "first to learn what is in the works" part. Thanks to the Hall H panel in July, Marvel's entire Phase 5 has officially been planned out, with new titles announced and scheduled including Blade, Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts. We also know that Phase 6 will begin with Fantastic Four in November 2024, and conclude with two Avengers blockbusters – Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret War – but we don't know about any of the projects (either destined for the big screen or Disney+). Could D23 Expo be the event that fills in all of the gaps that we presently know about in the Marvel Cinematic Universe schedule?
One can't rule out the possibility that Marvel will only deliver a bare minimum to D23 Expo, but history tells us that won't be the case (remember at D23 Expo 2019 when they announced three new Disney+ shows and Kit Harrington as part of the Eternals cast?). CinemaBlend will be on the ground covering the event in Anaheim, California, so be sure to mark September 9-11 off on your calendar.
In the meantime, you can keep track of everything on the way from the Marvel Cinematic Universe with our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides.
